Dear Diggers, I’m confused! I’m reading the latest Diggers magazine, on page 20, I read, ‘Traditional methods of turning and tilling our soil have played a significant role in soil depletion … Tillage (manual turning of the soil) usually increases the rate of soil respiration, leading to the depletion of soil organic matter. Hence working the soil is counterproductive…’
Then I read on page 30, ‘Deep, thorough soil preparation is crucial for building rich, healthy soil and achieving optimal results. Wherever possible, hand tools like a strong garden fork and digging spade should be used to incorporate compost, organic matter and organic fertilisers into the soil …’
Helen O.
Hi Helen, great to see members are ‘digging deep’ into our magazine articles. There was indeed a healthy range of views expressed by different authors in our articles on soil.
The first author is speaking about the damage that excessive tilling, use of chemical fertilisers and broad acre, monoculture farming has on our agricultural land over time. This is due to the damage to soil structure and large areas of land left completely bare for crucial periods after cropping without the addition of organic matter, as would naturally occur in a treed natural landscape. There are many factors at play here including a total lack of biodiversity above and below ground, which contributes to destruction of our fragile soils.
The second author is speaking about small scale gardening, where biodiversity is encouraged with many varieties of plants, organic matter is constantly renewed and beneficial practices like crop rotation are in place. Gentle tilling and turning in of compost and organic matter in this environment allows carbon and nutrients to be incorporated into the soil. Gently opening up the soil increases air pockets and moisture penetration, provided it is not undertaken when the soil is sopping wet.
Can someone from Diggers please explain the rationale behind the huge increase in fees. I have read the Spring mag so I don’t want a corporate speak retake, just explain to the loyal members what on earth is going on. I have been a member for 20+ years but can’t see myself renewing which I find very sad. I have a two-year membership that cost $79. The same membership for two years will now cost me $190!!! with printed mags. I will also only get $20 of seeds (4 packets) vs. 8 packets of seeds per year. How can this price increase
be justified. It does not make economic sense and I think you will lose many loyal members.Diana E.
And in reply another member says:
For those complaining and having a go at Diggers and who are no longer members or cancelling their membership … I hate to state the obvious but this is a Diggers Club members-only group. I thought this was a community of like-minded gardeners who wanted to help preserve and buy heirloom seeds and plants while supporting each other with any help or tips.
To see comments like ‘I can get it cheaper elsewhere’... ‘what a rip off’... ‘nothing germinates from Diggers’... ‘I’m no longer a paid member’... ‘I’m not renewing my membership’... and so on, I’m sorry but you don’t belong here and are ruining it for the rest of us who are happy to be members.
Instead of complaining on Facebook, did you call Diggers and speak to them about your concerns? Please think of that the next time you are about to hit the keys in anger … would you call them and speak like that?
For the ‘happy to be a Diggers member’ lovely souls here – we know that Diggers is a rare company doing incredible things for heritage seeds and gardens into the future. They give so much back. And that’s why we are happy to be members.
If Diggers shuts down you won’t be able to buy their seeds anywhere, so ‘I’ll buy them at Bunnings’ won’t work, will it? I buy Diggers seeds, grow them, harvest my own seeds and seed save, so they are a small investment that keeps on giving. That’s why I’ll happily save for a yearly membership.
Jen O.
Hi everyone, Julian here, head gardener at Diggers. We’ve been reading your posts and we need to be honest about the membership changes. For years now, fees haven’t covered what it costs to run the Club. That’s meant delays and dips in quality, which many of you have noticed. We’ve held off for seven years, but we can’t avoid this any longer.
The fee rise wasn’t an easy choice. It’s what we need to keep Diggers alive and carry on the legacy of Clive and Penny Blazey. This isn’t about profit – every dollar still goes back into saving heirloom seeds, caring for our historic gardens and educating gardeners through The Diggers Foundation. Without this support, the voices protecting seed diversity and independent gardening risk being lost.
We know this decision has upset some of you. That was never our intention and we’re sorry. We’re passionate about seed preservation, supporting home gardeners and keeping alive something unique in Australia’s gardening community.
If you stay with us, we’ll do everything we can to show that your support makes a real difference. If you decide not to renew, we respect that too and we hope you’ll continue to back the important work we’re doing in other ways.